Today, we are excited to share with you a blog submitted by someone who follows us online. John O'Connor is passionate about healthy aging and living a healthy lifestyle. His father and grandfathers along with many other family members and friends suffer from hearing loss, and John feels that there is a general lack of understanding surrounding the issue and that it is our job to spread awareness! We thank John for submitting his blog and are happy to share it with our followers. As HEARING is essential for speech this information is important to adults & children!.

Tips to Prevent Hearing Loss and
Preserve Health

Exposure to loud
noises can result in hearing loss. Free radicals form when people are exposed
to loud noises for extended periods of time. Luckily, there are some ways to
prevent hearing loss that results from external stressors. Here are a few
prevention tips that will help to preserve hearing health:

Vitamin D, manganese,
vitamin A, vitamin B complex, vitamin C and vitamin E all help prevent hearing
loss. Internal prevention is the first stage of defense in the fight against
hearing loss. Poor health conditions such as diabetes will increase chances of
developing hearing loss. A balanced and healthy diet complete with these
vitamins will decrease hearing loss in most people.

Wear Protective Earplugs

Protective earplugs
can help people prevent hearing loss. Protective ear-wear should be worn at
work in a factory, on a construction site, at a concert, mowing the lawn, in a
salon or in other environments with prolonged exposure to high–decibel,
noise-producing devices.

Avoid Loud Noise

Contact the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to learn about the safe
decibel levels in every work environment. If your work environment exceeds
these levels, contact the appropriate person to rectify the situation. Control the Volume

Harmful noise levels
can affect hearing. Turn the music down on the radio, television and other
devices to prevent premature hearing loss.

Stop Smoking

People who smoke are
more likely to suffer hearing loss. Quit smoking with smoking-cessation devices
or patches and improve chances of maintaining hearing.

Remove Earwax with Drops

One safe way to
remove earwax is to soften ear wax with baby oil. The baby oil can be dispensed
into the ear with an eye dropper. Repeat the process for six days, and on the
sixth day, switch to water. Tilt the head to the side, and the ear wax should
be removed with the water. After the water process is complete, follow the
process with alcohol. This should completely remove all earwax and leave the
ears refreshed.

Blow the Nose Gently

Blowing the nose too
hard could affect the ability to hear. Blowing the nose gently will not cause
additional stress on the ears that may result in problems.

Protect Your Ears.
Protect Your Health

Loss of hearing can
result in depression and dementia. This is frustrating and may affect a
person’s overall quality of life. Instead of taking a risk of hearing loss,
take precautions, avoid wearing hearing aids and preserve your hearing.

My husband brought home an iPad last week. My daughter beamed with excitement. I wasn’t nearly as excited. Much to my surprise she not only knew what it was, but she also knew what to do with it. In fact she knew way more about what to do with it than me!

I admit I have never been one to embrace technology (but I get it honestly, my mom refused to give up her rotary dial phone until the mid ‘90s!). In fact, I typically avoid it until absolutely necessary. My husband is the opposite. He loves any new gadget he can get his hands on. I often refer to his newest piece of technology as the “other woman” b/c he prefers to spend time exploring and discovering how to use it rather than talking to me!

Because of my reluctance to use technology I have not exposed my children to much of it. It wasn’t until my daughter attended preschool at the age of 3 ½ that she learned to use a mouse and navigate independently on the computer. Sure, she knew what the computer was and occasionally her dad and her would take silly pictures on “Photo Booth”, but beyond that she didn’t know much about the fun a computer had in store for her.

Part of my reluctance to introduce my children to technology too soon was that I feared they would enjoy being on kid friendly websites, or playing games on the Wii, and they would forget how to engage in creative, imaginative free play. I had already witnessed how easily the television could get them under its spell, and I feared the internet and gaming systems would do the same. I guess this is when I first became an advocate for PLAY.

Imagine my disappointment the other night at bedtime when my daughter exuberantly requested her dad read her her bedtime stories and not me. Do you know why she wanted daddy? Because daddy had the iPad (and he knew how to use it!). But as I lay there listening to the beeps, dings and taps echoing down the hallway, I wondered if this bedtime iPad routine was such a good idea. Sure, it’s not THAT bad, but bedtime stories in our house are a treasured nightly routine. Knowing the importance of reading to your children, I have been a stickler that 3 books are read every night before bed to each child. A routine my children have grown to love and expect.

However I didn’t give it much more thought than that and I quickly drifted off to sleep. But the next morning I remembered an article in my recent parent magazine that cited this research study: https://www.temple.edu/news_media/tradbooks.html. It was the proof behind my crazy protective instinct to preserve bedtime story time; the benefits of reading traditional books outweighs reading e-books.

So thank you Temple University for giving me some proof to back up my stubborn reluctance. Although, I admit I recognize the importance of introducing our children to technology in this fast paced world we live in. I certainly don’t want my kids to be behind on account of me. So I’ll leave that up to my husband. Right now my kids have a good balance of play, technology and structure in their lives. I hope I can keep it that way!

Electronic books dampen the kind of parent-child interaction related to early literacy

Parents and pre-school children have a more positive interaction when sharing a reading experience with a traditional book as opposed to an electronic book, or e-book, according to researchers at Temple University’s Infant Laboratory in Philadelphia and Erikson Institute in Chicago. This shared positive experience from traditional books characteristically promotes early literacy skills.

The researchers presented the findings of their study, "Electronic books: Boon or Bust for Interactive Reading?" on Nov. 3 as part of the Boston University Conference on Language Development.

The first-of-its-kind study was conducted by Julia Parish-Morris, a graduate student in developmental psychology at Temple University, and Molly F. Collins, assistant professor at Erikson Institute. Parish-Morris and Collins collaborated with Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, the Lefkowitz Professor of Psychology and director of the Temple Infant Lab.

“It is very obvious from the media, and from toy stores and bookstores, that electronic learning products are becoming very, very popular," said Parish-Morris. "Parents are really buying into the idea that electronic media is essential to their children's development."

Parish-Morris recruited 19 children ages 3-5, along with their parents, at Philadelphia's Please Touch Museum; Collins recruited 14 at the Chicago Children's Museum

.
Parish-Morris said the researchers were looking at four different questions: Do children prefer electronic or traditional books in the context of parent-child interaction; does the content of parental utterances differ between the types of books; is the context of what parents are saying content- or behavior-oriented; and do parents’ comments go beyond the book's story?

In a quiet room, the parents and children sat in front of a table displaying 10 books (five electronic and five traditional) matched on length and similarity of characters/plot structure. They were instructed to do whatever they would normally do with books.

"Roughly one-third of the children chose e-books over traditional books, which surprised us a little bit," said Parish-Morris. "But part of that might stem from the fact that, in general, parents and children don't tend to read electronic books together."

She said that the raw number of total utterances made by parents was roughly equal between the two types of books, but that the researchers saw a significant difference in the proportion of content- and behavior-oriented comments.

"I was struck by the stark difference between the content-related utterances in reading traditional versus e-books; I didn't realize there would be a two-fold difference," said Collins. "I think this happens because we're more comfortable with traditional books and so we play a more active role in the reading process; but with e-books, we let the books lead."

"It turned out that reading electronic books became a behaviorally oriented, slightly coercive parent-child interaction as opposed to talking about the story, relating it to the their child's life, or even talking about the book's pictures or text," Parish-Morris said. "Parents were under the impression that when you are sitting down with a book, you are supposed to read it," she added.

"But what was happening with the e-books is that reading was not even part of the process, probably because these books literally read the story to the child. So parents are not needed. The book makes commands and tells the child what to do; it encourages them to play games and reads to the child, so parents are essentially replaced by this battery-operated machine."

In contrast, Parish-Morris noted that parents who read traditional books made more comments that related pictures or themes in the book to their children’s real lives in a way that might spur the children’s imagination, or their short- or long-term memory.

This is significant because children are more successful in school when they spend their pre-school years reading with their parents. "The parent-child interaction around books and shared book reading is incredibly important to emergent literacy skills," she said. "In the later school years, kids enjoy school more, they enjoy learning more, and there are a whole host of outcomes that are related to this shared reading experience in the pre-school years.

"So parents who are talking about the content with their child while reading traditional books are encouraging early literacy, whereas parents and children reading electronic books together are having a severely truncated experience."

"This research does suggest that parents should be aware of some of the limitations of e-book reading," added Collins. "We shouldn't use e-books to replace traditional books, and we shouldn't expect them to do something that they don't. They're not substitutes for a human being."

The researchers are using this study, which received some material support from Fisher-Price, as the basis for a larger study at the Temple University Infant Lab. The follow-up study features an expanded sample of children in a randomized design. Preliminary data confirm the findings of the current study.

My Dad is magic. Always has been. Always will be. I am 35 years old and in my mind, he can still make anything happen. Yes, it may be naive or childish, but for me it's true.

Ever since I was a small child he has been everything I think a Daddy should be...hardworking, fun, protective, playful, creative, and present when it matters. Add those things together and it makes MAGIC.

On the day I was born, my mother says he yelled at the nurses who were cleaning me up in the operating room for "rubbing me too hard. That protective nature never quite went away. As a toddler I had a terrible fear of people singing happy birthday to me. It brought me to tears for years. In today's age of helicopter parenting, we'd just avoid singing happy birthday at my party. But in the late 1970's and early 1980's this would not be acceptable in my big, enthusiastic family. So they sang. I cried. And magic Daddy took his position of hugging me through it. We have several pictures, each one with me a tiny bit bigger, but each in this same location and position.

When I was old enough to question if Santa really came to our house and came down our chimney. He made sure he had proof for me. Christmas morning was magical with gifts but even more magical with child-shocking proof of the big man himself sitting in OUR chair, eating OUR cookies, in front of OUR chimney. Magical. (I'm still not sure how this occurred...I mean, no one can really see Santa, right!?)

One Halloween, which I specifically remember was a school night. My busy, hardworking teacher of a Mom, rushed home from the high school, picked up candy to pass out, prepped snacks for friends we were expecting, and handed me my K-mart purchased costume to put on. Black cat headband ears, tail that was to be pinned to my dancing leotard, slippers, and some face paint. Great, right? Wrong. In my whimsical, creative mind (OK, and a little high maintenance attitude) I had dreamed up some specific homemade creation, but there just wasn't time. You would have thought the world had ended (DRAMA). I remember being in my parent's room, crying in part from disappointment from the situation, with equal disappointment from myself and my behavior, and part panic that I knew it would be time to leave for trick or treating any minute (How would I go a whole year without my Reese Cups?). In comes Dad, with his "Dad work look" (stained and ripped jeans, boots, and flannel shirt). After figuring out what was wrong and assessing the situation, he did not yell or tell me to get myself together and be grateful for what my mother already gave me (side note: as a parent now myself, this is exactly what I would have done in this situation). He simply said, "You'll be a ho-bo clown." What? He pulled out his clothes and began stuffing them full of t-shirts, painted my face, and promptly got me outside and paraded us around the neighborhood. I remember laughing and finishing the tears at the same time. MAGIC.

They say you often choose a man like your father (for better or worse, right?). And there are clear differences in my life...my husband is wonderful, but is not nearly as handy as my Dad, and forget my Dad ever doing something as "out there" as spending a morning doing yoga with me like my sweet husband will. But one thing is the same. THE MAGIC. I see it in my husband as he searches out new book series to read with our daughters and makes the library trip an adventure. I see it when he has the patience I don't have to deal with the girl drama in our house. I see it in the twinkle of his eye when they joke and rough house.

Daddy's are MAGIC. Or at least they always should be. If you are a child, I hope you spend some time today remembering the MAGIC of a Dad (or Dad-like figure) in your life. If you are Grandfather, I hope you find joy in continuing to make MAGIC. And if you are a Dad, I hope you realize the magical powers you have in the important role of fathering, and make some MAGIC of your own today!

When I was a child, my hard working carpenter of a grandfather, would unload the tools from his truck and load in four rowdy grandchildren. My brother and my cousins and I would tumble in to the back of his truck, which had a cap, a carpeted bed, and homemade benches for us to sit on (shout out to 1980 something motor vehicle safety). We'd ride two on one bench and two on the other, facing each other, while our Papap drove the curvy West Virginia roads to the next town over. When he pulled into Bucks Ice Cream Parlor in New Cumberland, WV, we'd squeal with delight and tumble out of the bed of the truck and straight up to the counter. We had arrived at "our place." The smells were familiar, the smiling faces behind the counter were the same, my grandfather joking in his thick Arabic accent unchanged. Even the flavors ordered rarely changed. I can remember mint chocolate chip for my cousin Tania and peanut butter for me. We'd sit on benches outside of Buck's struggling to lick the ice cream off the cone before it dripped on to our clothes, avoiding my Teta's remarks about stains on clothing. We'd finish our treat, hug him and give him a few "Hip, Hip, Hoorays" (usually per his prompting) and climb back into that truck to ride home, signing some repetitive song (Father Abraham...had seven sons....). Bucks was OUR PLACE. We knew what to expect and we liked it. The routine was predictable, safe, comfortable, and happy.

Why am I thinking of Bucks this many years later? Last weekend as I stood in the field of our neighborhood orchard, I thought to myself, "This is my kid's PLACE" and I immediately thought back to my childhood PLACE. Orr's Orchard is a family run orchard just a mile or so from our home that is a year round business that grows fruit and ships it around the US and the world. When I was transplanted to this part of West Virginia, it was their orchard and their nectarines that I first fell in love with. I adore the hardworking steel town I grew up in, but this seemed so fresh and natural.

It's funny how 12 years later, this orchard has become my children's PLACE. They know and recognize many of the sweet people who work there and will often say things like "Mom, Miss Katie said the strawberries are good today!" or "Miss Lisa is here today!" They associate fruits with the seasons of our life. Strawberries are the first thing ready after the orchard has been closed for a few months for planting. We pick sweet cherries about the time school is out. Nectarines and peaches are ready in time for a beach trip. Sunflowers and Gerber Daisies are ready to be picked about the time our dear friends from North Carolina come and stay with us during hurricane evacuations. Apples and pumpkins are here at football season.

They've learned about animals through the many unique ones that reside on the orchard - buffalo, pigs, & peacocks to name a few and have religiously voted each year in the contest to name the new baby buffalo born each spring. Last years winner...Tayor Swifttail. We've been taught about the practice of renting bees to cross pollinate fruit trees and special heaters to keep crops warm during cool nights by the generous family who runs this beautiful place. We've celebrated birthdays there and participated in festivals, hayrides, and local foods feasts.

So last Saturday morning, as I took a break from our combined efforts of picking 4 buckets of sweet cherries (YUM), I stood back and watched my equally sweet girls energetically climb those ladders and get excited about picking and felt gratitude. In a place I once never imagined could feel like home, my children had their own PLACE.

So I thought I'd share some beautiful images from our PLACE with you. Shouldn't every kid have a PLACE where they can build memories as sweet as cherries? What's yours?

Think about what you hear all day long but don't pay attention to: the air conditioning kicking on and off, the tick tock of the clock, cars outside our window. What do we really listen to? What sounds do you choose to tune into? We have to consciously decide when we want to listen. We hear involuntarily, we listen by choice.

Good listening skills can be taught to our children by reading to them. We know they are listening when they correct a rhyme we misread in their favorite book, or catch us when we skip a page! And good listening skills come with practice. Think about all the lectures you had to LISTEN to in school. You first learned those listening skills when you were read your bedtime story as a child! This is why you hear all the time how important it is to read to your child every day for at least 20 minutes.

When we ourselves listen, without actually seeing a picture, it forces us to "flex" our imagination muscle. That's why reading a book before seeing a movie is always so much more rewarding! The same happens with our children. When they hear stories, their thoughts run wild with creating their own versions of characters, settings, and events.

We hear parents, teachers, and therapists speak of language. The first thought that comes to mind with this word is oral or spoken language, but RECEPTIVE language is just as important and is often left out of the conversation! Receptive language is our comprehension of spoken language. Examples include when someone asks a question we understand and respond appropriately, or when we are given a direction to follow, and we know what to do. We often KNOW what we want to say or do but can't effectively SAY it. The same holds true with children. We all know that "uh uh uh" sound coming out of a child's mouth while we dance around providing option after option..."Do you want a drink? Nap? Snack? Play?" And it goes on and on until we guess correctly, but that baby knew he or she wanted our cell phone or keys. Those words just weren't ready to come out just yet.

Little ones first show comprehension of language when they respond to their name being called and look for their bottle or blankie when they are named. Parents are often fascinated with how early their child can recognized those named objects by looking at them when they hear their names or labels. This often occurs months before spoken language. And receptive language doesn't develop effectively without good listening skills.

What's one of the best ways to enhance those listening skills? PRACTICE! Beyond enriching your child's day with labeling objects you encounter (yes we are proponents of naming fruits and veggies at the store, even if your baby isn't talking yet! Who cares if people look at you like you are nuts!), routine reading and listening to music are great opportunities for receptive learning. Another wonderful way is LISTENING to stories. In a world so focused on TV, movies, and handheld devices, the simpleness or using our ears to LISTEN and imagine is often and forgotten and the benefits missed.

Listening to stories on an I-pod was a life saver when my then three year old had bedtime troubles (and troubles is putting it kindly). Allowing her to focus on a story, helped her to forget her fears at bedtime and met my goal of getting she and I both to bed!

We recently were introduced to a very creative couple, Mel and Chris Bugaj. Together they formed Night Light Stories and they provide incredible FREE stories that they have written and recorded on their website, nightlightstories.net. They can also be found on Face book and Twitter. We interviewed them for this blog post. Enjoy reading their answers below and have fun learning about and discovering their work. Download some Night Light Stories to motivate your little one at bed time, or even in the car or during quiet times during the day --and let the magic of their imagination grow!

Tell us about yourselves and how Night Light stories began.

Welcome to Night Light Stories! We are so happy you found us! My name is Miss Mel. My husband and I are both special educators with twenty-four years combined experience. I have taught all grade levels from preschool to grade five in both general and special education. Currently, I am a Supervisor for student teachers for Walden University as well as a Homebound Teacher. My husband is a speech-language pathologist and founding member of the Assistive Technology Team for Loudoun County Public Schools. He and a co-worker recently were published by the International Society for Technology in Education. Their book is called "The Practical (and Fun) Guide to Assistive Technology in Public Schools". After hours he also produces and hosts the A.T.TIPSCAST, an award-winning podcast about free or commonly found technology that can be used to help students meet their educational goals.

My husband and I created the podcast called Night Light Stories where I narrate original children's stories that we've written. Every episode is available for free in audio format on our compendium blog or on iTunes. On this blog you will find vocabulary from the story as well as comprehensive activities that engage the child's imagination. We also produce a weekly visual dictionary called "Lighting The Way With Words" where we choose a vocabulary word and pair it with an original photo. The audience is invited to send in their own pictures to help define the word. Our goal is to promote education and family time.

We started the podcast and blog as a creative thing to do together. We thought it would be a fun alternative for families, educators, and classrooms to listen to our stories on car trips, around the house, transition times in the classroom, or anytime. We also thought that since our kids seemed to enjoy the stories, other kids around the world might like them too. We say in the podcast that the stories are "for children of all ages" and it is our hope that families are enjoying the stories together.

Besides the blog, you can find us on Twitter and our Face book Page . This is where people can get updates about all things related to Night Light Stories; including what's going on with story development, recent pictures, and more. We hope you enjoy listening to our stories as much as we enjoy creating them! As always, we look forward to watching the glow grow brighter with the many stories we can share together.

Who/what inspires the stories you write?

Inspiration comes from a variety of sources. For instance, our 6yo drew a picture of the number 8 as a person with an opossum as a sidekick. Who is this mysterious number 8 man? Why does he have an opossum as a sidekick? This is just one of many ways a story idea may start.

What is your favorite NL story and why?

Ms. Mel's is "The Watermelon Seed". It holds a special place in my heart because it reminds me of when our daughter was born and how our son reacted to it. A fun fact about that story is it took me about 17x to record the ending without crying.

Mr. Chris' is "Alien Pursuit" because it has aliens and hip hop. Who doesn't love aliens and hip hop?

Who is your favorite children's author, favorite children's book?

Ms. Mel's is "The Cookie Monster and the Cookie Tree". My grandfather used to read that to my brother and I whenever we stayed over their house. His voices for the characters were so perfect. No matter how many times I read that story to my children, I'll always hear the voices as the way he read it.

Mr. Chris' is tempted to say "The Piano and Laylee Learning Adventure Series" about two dogs teaching students how to become positive digital citizens. But, if he had to pick just one, it would be "Good Night, Good Knight". Whenever I get the chance to be a guest reader in a classroom, I read this book and kids love it.

How do you want NL stories to benefit/impact children and their families?

Research shows that listening to audio stories improves the reading abilities of children.It's our hope that while kids listen to the stories they are engaged and entertained with their families.

What are some ways your listeners have tied your stories into their daily routines?

Listeners have told us that they have incorporated our stories into their bed time routines. They've also used the stories to help pass the time on car rides, during bath time, or before school. What is most heartwarming is when listeners share stories of how a particular Night Light Story helped them through a difficult situation. For instance, one listener listened to the story "Stitches" while waiting in the ER to see the doctor after cutting themselves.

Do you wish to have your stories published into books one day?

Yes. Currently our stories exist in audio format only. Therefore we would love to see the stories come to life with brilliant illustrations and/or some interactive components.

What is your favorite thing to play with your children?

Ms. Mel likes to play Zingo. The kids always get so excited when they beat me.

Mr. Chris likes to play dress-up. I finds that they create rich characters and hilarious stories which spark not only their imaginations, but mine as well.

Thank you to Nightlight Stories for creating FUN resources to enhance family routines and receptive communication skills!

If I were a kid and it was acceptable for me to wear those
super cool socks or underwear that have the days of the week on them, I’m
pretty sure I’d pick Thursday every time. I’ve always thought of Sunday as my
favorite day of the week for all the obvious reasons– church, family dinner, nap, football, but I’ve
really been appreciating Thursdays lately. It’s funny because there was a time in my life when Thursday
was a really fun day for totally different reasons (Thirsty Thursday anyone?)
but here in “Mom-World,” Thirsty Thursdays are few and far between.

For me, Thursday nights are kind of like my Fridays. My
“official” work-week ends. I tie up paperwork and billing, finish phone calls
and prepare for the weekend (and indulge in Grey’s Anatomy of course). This week was particularly crazy and by
Thursday night I felt a huge weight off my shoulders. It was as if my black,
white, and gray pictures turned into color – sort of like that magical scene
from the Wizard of Oz.

I felt like I noticed my daughters more, listened more
carefully to their stories and concerns, and generally seemed more present in
the moment. I have to admit that
being present in the moment is a daily goal, but one that I frequently fall
short of. Reflecting on how
wonderful fully “being” with them felt, I found myself wishing I could make a
way to be more intentional about this daily (again, repeat theme – it is a
daily seemingly unreachable goal). But as I thought, I realized that being a
parent, specifically being a Mother, is such a challenging job that the honest
truth is that if we were always “fully present” nothing would get done! So I
decided to allow myself, right then and there in that moment, to give myself a
break. I vowed to no longer feel guilty if I was not engaged constantly but at the
same time, ironically I decided to try to schedule more unscheduled time! In other
words, more “Thursdays” for me.
Today, I’m taking the day as a Thursday. We have no clean socks or
towels and I’m not letting myself care, because I have someone who wants to sit
on my lap and smother me in kisses. And I know one day too soon, she’ll not
want to do that anymore.

Some of us as Mother’s work full time away from the home.
Others work full time at home. And some, like me, try to balance both worlds
and inevitably feel like we never really get to do anything to the full needed
extent. It’s a challenge to do it all and to find a fit that feels best for
ourselves and our families. But the fact of the matter is, we all need a
“Thursday” or “Thursdays” for that matter.

So to you mothers out there, the ones that I know – those
who helped raise me and those who help me raise my kids, those who inspire me,
push me, and encourage me in this messy but wonderfully yummy job of
motherhood, and to those who I don’t know personally but who I am connected to
through this important job we are trusted with – I wish you a Thursday -kind –of-
Sunday and a very restful, happy, and fully present Mother’s Day!

The view from our Mother's day hike - WV is ALMOST HEAVEN. Hope you enjoy!

The best gift wrap ever - my flower came in this. I need to read it every day I need motivation to allow myself a Thursday kind of day!

From the American Speech-Language Hearing Association's Website:

Parents Advised On How To Detect

Communications Disorders In Their

Children

Although more than 5 million children in the United States have a speech, language, and hearing disorder, parents are often uninformed and unsure about what to do when they suspect their child. This May, and every May since 1927, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has used the May is Better Hearing and Speech Month (BHSM) celebration to provide parents with information about communication disorders to help ensure that they do not seriously affect their children's ability to learn, socialize with others, and be successful in school.

Speech and language problems can occur at any time in a child's life. They can be caused by accidental injury, illness, or inherited by birth. Child speech and language problems include:

Stuttering

Articulation problems ("wabbit" instead of "rabbit")

Language disorders such as the slow development of vocabulary, concepts, and grammar.

Voice disorders (nasal, breathy, or hoarse voice and speech that is too high or low)

Parents who suspect their child has a communication disorder should see an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist. These professionals identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems including swallowing disorders. Speech-language pathologists work in schools, private practice, hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, health departments, research laboratories, and other health education settings.

Fortunately, most children with speech, language, and hearing problems can be helped. Even if the problem cannot be eliminated, an SLP can teach the child strategies to help them cope with their communication disorders, or provide them with the appropriate technology. By promoting Better Hearing and Speech Month, we hope parents will learn about communication disorders, what they can do to help their children, and how speech-language pathologists and audiologists can help with their child's communication disorders.

Meanwhile, hearing loss, like speech and language problems, can have a negative impact on a child's social and academic development. Communication disorders like hearing loss in children can occur at birth or as a child grows older due to chronic ear infections or exposure to noise. The earlier hearing loss occurs in a child's life, the more serious the effects have on the child's development.

As a first step, people who think their child is displaying many of these warning signs and think they may have hearing loss or other hearing disorders should see a certified audiologist. These professionals specialize in preventing, identifying, assessing, and treating hearing disorders. Also, they provide treatment for hearing loss including fitting hearing aids and other assistive listening devices, and they can teach children with hearing loss how to concentrate on hearing all sounds.

ASHA recommends that children at risk for hearing loss, such as those who suffer from chronic ear infections or in cases where there is a family history of hearing loss, be screened by a certified audiologist as frequently as needed to ensure they are hearing well. Otherwise, for children ages 5-18, hearing screenings should occur on initial entry into school and annually in kindergarten through 3rd grade as well as in the 7th and 11th grades.

Parents who think their children may have a speech, language, or hearing disorder or know of a loved one who has a communication disorder should access ProSearch at http://www.asha.org/findpro/, ASHA's online directory of audiology and speech-language pathology programs, to find an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist or audiologist in their area.

About the American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 145,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems including swallowing disorders. www.asha.org/.

JUST PLAY!

Welcome to our blog! As longtime friends, we recently decided to combine our professional experience (as a speech-language pathologist and physical therapist) and "Mommy Experience" to create a company dedicated to something we are both extremely passionate about - letting kids be kids! Milestones and Miracles, LLC was formed in 2010. Our mission is to empower parents in understanding the natural progression of their child's development (and not rush it along and skip stages). We develop and provide developmental products to support this learning process, bonding families through engaging, fun, and meaningful experiences! We are thrilled to share that our first product, 1 2 3 Just Play With Me is available for sale. Visit www.milestonesandmiracles.com to learn more and order a unique product for yourself & your child or as a gift! We will continue use this blog to share about topics that interest and excite us. Stay tuned!